For some of you, you know I walked away from my corporate website and graphic design business to pursue my life long dream to be a full-time writer, illustrator, and surface designer. Many of you also know me as an art teacher, and yes, I still teach online art classes. I have also decided to create video art classes, stay tuned.
In the summer of 2019, I got a part-time job at Target while I went back to school to learn more about the surface design industry.
In my last post, I talked about how writing and journaling have helped heal me from the primary set backs in my life. 2009 was full of setbacks from closing my ad agency, then losing my mom to breast cancer, and then having a heart attack. I didn’t think I could ever come back from all of that.
I started my own scream journal in March 2020 when we all started wearing a mask because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Then in May, I decided to create one for the world. “My Private Scream Journal” was published in December 2020.
Working part-time at Target every day was a major challenge. We were always out of toilet paper and cleaning supplies. As a checker, or “a front line associate,” I became a sounding board for everyone who got in my line.
People were scared. When they had to wear a mask, people became angry, hostile, and defiant. I became angry, sarcastic, and hateful. I work hard not to be a “Karen” in this CRAZY world. If you are on social media, you will understand what this means.
I didn’t want to be like that. Remember, you are what you are around. Half the people thought the quarantine was complete nonsense and the other half were afraid of their own shadow. Some people came into the store in full hazmat suits and others with three masks layered on top of each other. Now my heart would go out to some of them because I don’t know their story. They could be going through chemo, or maybe a loved one was going through something similar.
There are so many gratitude journals out there. We are supposed to write down a list of grateful things in our lives. And yes, I am very thankful for a lot of things, and I have written my list repeatedly, but I think we also need to clean out our minds of all the bad stuff too. Then there is more room for a new mindset of beautiful thoughts, feelings, and a better you.
“My Private Scream Journal” is full of writing prompts to help you work through your week. I hope you will join me and enjoy this journey.
